Seminar Series Events/Videos

One of the simplest low energy effective theories with Asymmetric Dark Matter contains a gauge singlet Dirac Fermion for the dark matter and a gauge singlet scalar as the mediator that the dark matter decays into. In this model I discuss the spectrum of bound states (two body and multi-body) and the cosmological production/dissociation of dark matter two body bound states.

Recent searches for a first-generation leptoquark by the CMS collaboration have shown around 2.5 sigma deviations from Standard Model predictions in both the eejj and e nu jj channels. Furthermore, the eejj invariant mass distribution has another 2.8 sigma excess from the CMS right-handed W plus heavy neutrino search. We point out that additional leptoquark production from a heavy coloron decay can provide a good explanation for all three excesses. The coloron has a mass around 2.1 TeV and the leptoquark mass can vary from 550 GeV to 650 GeV.

The theory of quantum electrodynamics is recognized for the most accurate predictions in physics confirmed by experiment. I review the recent results on high precision tests of QED with an emphasize on the study of the positronium bound state.

We show that in the presence of a chemical potential, black hole evaporation generates baryon number. If the inflaton or Ricci scalar is derivatively coupled to the B-L current, the expansion of the universe acts as a chemical potential and splits the energy levels of particles and their anti-particles. The asymmetric Hawking radiation of primordial black holes can thus be used to generate a B-L asymmetry. If dark matter is produced by the same mechanism, the coincidence between the mass density of visible and dark matter can be naturally explained.

After the 7 and 8 TeV LHC runs, we have no conclusive evidence of physics beyond the Standard Model, leading us to suspect that even if new physics is discovered during run II, the number of signal events may be limited, making it crucial to optimize measurements for the case of low statistics. I will argue that phase space correlations between subsequent on-shell decays in a cascade contain additional information compared to commonly used kinematic variables, and this can be used to significantly improve the precision and accuracy of mass measurements.

In the coming years, LHC experiments will measure Higgs properties, such as its couplings, with increasing precision. Electron-positron Higgs factories, such as the ILC or TLEP, would be able to achieve even better precision. In this talk, I will discuss some of the physics questions that can be addressed by a precision Higgs coupling measurement program. First, the issue of naturalness of the electroweak scale can be addressed in a robust, model-independent manner.

The IceCube detector has recently reported the observation of 28 events at previously unexplored energies. While the statistics of the observed events are still low, these events hint at the existence of a neutrino flux over and above the atmospheric neutrino background. We investigate the possibility that a significant component of the additional neutrino flux originates due to the decay of a very heavy dark matter (VHDM) particle via several possible channels into standard model particles.

The CDF and D0 experiments at Tevatron measure a top-quark forward-backward asymmetry significantly larger than the standard-model prediction. We construct a model that involves new strong interactions at the electroweak scale and can explain the measured asymmetry. Our model possesses a flavor symmetry which allows to evade flavor and collider constraints, while it still permits flavor-violating couplings of order 1 which are needed to generate the asymmetry via light t-channel vectors.

I will describe Connes approach to the standard model based on spectral noncommutative geometry with particular emphasis on the symmetries. The model poses constraints which are satisfied by the standard model group, and does not leave much room for other possibilities. There is however a possibility for a larger symmetry (the ``grand algebra'') which may also be instrumental to obtain the correct mass of the Higgs.

I'll present a proof-of-concept new technique for tagging boosted objects which decay into two colored particles based on the wavelet transform. It is able to moderately improve the sensitivity of searches for such particles by 6-7%. I will also discuss future directions of applicability.